Former charter school teacher cleared of molestation

A former charter school teacher accused of fondling a home-schooled student was acquitted Thursday of three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation.

At the conclusion of a three-day trial, Leon County jurors deliberated about an hour before returning not-guilty verdicts, said his attorney, Mike Bauer of Tallahassee.

Lucas E. Stricker was arrested in 2014 after the student alleged he kissed and touched her while she was receiving after-school art lessons in his classroom. He taught at the now-closed Imagine School at Evening Rose from 2009 to 2012 before becoming a teacher at Governor’s Charter Academy. He was fired after his arrest.

He maintained his innocence and fully cooperated with police, Bauer said. He complied with all conditions of his pre-trial release for more than three years, Bauer added.

“Mr. Stricker went from being teacher of the year to no longer being permitted to be in a position which necessitated contact with children,” Bauer said in an email. “Mr. Stricker is the father of two small children and is very happy to be able to continue to being a father and looks forward to getting on with his life.”

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.

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